William Wixon wrote:
someone posted a link to a video of a helicopter power line inspector guy,
there are dozens of power line (and power line arc/explosion/fire, etc.)
videos on youtube. i've been watching some of them and they're jaw
droppingly incredible.

You'll want to get to your Imax theatre and watch Straight Up,
a helicopter piece done for the Smithsonian by one of the more
famous imax cinematographers, David Douglas...
Has some footage of the brass ball guys on the lines...
/mark